


Birthday Wishes

by AgentStannerShipper



Series: tumblr ficlets [49]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Birthday, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 06:38:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17462489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentStannerShipper/pseuds/AgentStannerShipper
Summary: Harry hates celebrating his birthday, but not for the reason Merlin expects.





	Birthday Wishes

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: “I’ll stop singing when hell freezes over.”

“If you don’t stop, I’m getting a divorce.”

“I’ll stop singing when hell freezes over.” Merlin pauses, and then adds, “Alright, that’s a bit of a strong stance to take, but my point still stands. There’s nothing wrong with singing Happy Birthday to you, Harry. In fact, it’s a bit of a cultural tradition.”

Harry huffs and folds his arms, glaring at the cake like it’s personally offended him. “Cultural tradition or not, there’s no need to remind me of my impending demise.”

“Now you’re being melodramatic.” They have this fight every year, ever since Harry hit thirty-five and found his first grey hair. Merlin won’t say he’s sick of it, exactly, but it is a little bit frustrating.

“I’m not being melodramatic,” Harry snaps. “It’s a perfectly reasonable request that you, for some reason, will not honour.”

“Because it’s a stupid request, Harry! It’s a song!” The candles – the two number shapes rather than having fifty-seven individual candles because Merlin is a practical man and Harry and fire do not have a good track record – are getting dangerously melted, dripping large pools of wax down onto the cake, but neither Harry nor Merlin is focused enough on them to do anything about it.

“It’s not stupid!” Harry stands, shoving his chair backwards so hard it nearly tips over, skidding loudly across the hardwood floor. He plants his hands on the table, leaning towards Merlin for emphasis. “You want to celebrate my birthday for whatever reason, and fine. Fine, if it means that much to you, then we’ll fucking celebrate me getting a year closer to being dead, but I draw the line at that song.”

Merlin backs down physically, although the low burn of frustrated anger remains lit. He really hates this fight, and he doesn’t like where it’s going. One of them has usually stormed off by now, but this time they’re standing their ground, neither willing to let go entirely. Merlin doesn’t try to challenge when he responds, but he’s not rolling over either. “This is important to me,” he says softly. “I’m not celebrating a year closer to you dying, love. I’m celebrating another year that we managed to keep you alive.”

Harry blinks, and his posture softens, no longer quite so defensive but not quite yielding either. “I know you think it’s a vanity thing,” he says. “It’s not. This isn’t about me aging. I’m getting older, I accept that. But every year I’m in the field it gets a little bit more likely that I’m going to slip, that this time the injury will be fatal.”

“Oh.”

“Exactly.” Harry sighs. “I don’t want to retire, and I hate the idea of sitting behind a desk. But I’m not a young man anymore. I’m not in the same shape I used to be, my eyesight is worse and my hands aren’t as steady. Every year it gets harder to keep up with the younger agents, harder to trust that I’m coming home safe. Can you understand why I wouldn’t want to celebrate that?”

“I wish you’d said something sooner.” Merlin rounds the table and draws Harry into his arms, holding him tightly. “If I’d known that was what was bothering you, I wouldn’t have given you such a hassle over it. I’ll stop with the song. But we’re still celebrating. I’m not going to give this up. It’s important to me.”

“I know,” Harry says. “Thank you.” He squeezes Merlin back, just as tightly. Over his shoulder, Merlin hears him say, “Er, darling?”

“Yes?”

“The cake is on fire.”


End file.
